In the extraction of crude oil from underground oil bearing formations water is often mixed with the extracted oil due to naturally occurring underground water or due to injected water from secondary recovery operations. The oil must be separated from the water so that the oil can be transported off the wellsite. To separate the oil from the water, holding tanks are set up at the wellsite and the oil floats to the top. Further, various vapors including oil vapor and/or natural gas separate from the oil and gas mixture and float above the oil inside the holding tank. As the level between the oil and water and vapor and oil fluctuates within the holding tank depending on the relative concentrations of water, oil and vapor being extracted from the well, a height adjustable device containing siphons to remove the separated, water, oil and vapors is necessary to compensate for the fluctuating levels.
In view of the foregoing it can be see that there is a need for a buoyancy system having a vapor recovery apparatus and an improved oil collection drain to improve vapor and oil recovery from oil and water separation tanks in the oil extraction industry.